Effect of nebivolol on endothelial dysfunction in patients with Behçet’s disease; a prospective single-arm controlled study

Objective: Behçet’s disease (BD) is a systemic vasculitis, capable of involving all types of vessels. Endothelial dysfunction (ED) has been previously documented in BD. Previous studies showed that nebivolol might improve endothelial functions in endothelial dysfunction. The aim of our study is to assess the effects of nebivolol on endothelial dysfunction in patients with Behçet’s disease. Methods: This study was designed as prospective single-arm controlled study. We prospectively studied 35 Behçet’s patients who were diagnosed according to the International Study Group criteria. Patients received 5 mg nebivolol per day for 3 months. Endothelial dysfunction was evaluated by brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) method using high-resolution vascular ultrasound device at baseline and after for 3-month therapy. The paired samples t test, Wilcoxon test, Pearson, Spearman correlation analyses were used for statistical analysis. Results: A significant improvement was observed in FMD after therapy period (4.23±1.19 vs 7.95±2.21%, p 0.001). The correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between post-treatment high-sensitive C-reactive protein and FMD (r=-0.435, p=0.009). No adverse effects were observed in treatment period. Conclusion: Nebivolol improved endothelial dysfunction in Behçet’s patients. However, further comprehensive studies are needed to determine the long-term effects of nebivolol.